The flayed God

Roberta and Peter Markman take us into a fierce and breathtakingly wondrous world of were-jaguars, obsidian butterflies, feathered serpents, snake women, and living skeletons - the world of the Popol Vuh of the Quiche Maya; Tlaltecuhtli, the Earth Monster; Chichen Itza; and the mysterious fall of the great city of Teotihuacan. This stunning collection of original tales, legends, and historical accounts explores the rich tapestry of Mesoamerican narrative myths that have. Survived the Conquest. Some of the narratives in this selection are presented here for the first time in English translations of their original texts, while other antiquated translations have been updated. "We are fortunate to be able to present what remains of one of the world's great mythological traditions," write the Markmans, "and even in these 'fragments shored against the ruins' we can still sense the magnificence of that tradition." From the ancient goddess of. Zohalpico, perhaps the earliest known image of the village cultures, The Flayed God chronologically traces the development of the myths of creation, fertility, rulership, hero journeys, and migration within the urban mythic traditions of the Olmec, T